


myth-stakes were made

by dustkeeper



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Asexual Character, Established Relationship, Fluff, Iggy's Secret Childhood Goth Phase, Ignoct New Years Gift Exchange, M/M, Mentions of vampires, Noctis Gets Super Confused When He's Sick, Sickfic, do not copy to another site
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 17:00:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17328950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dustkeeper/pseuds/dustkeeper
Summary: "Oh, from your vampire days. Gotcha."Ignis remained silent, hoping they'd drop the subject."Eccarius was a vampire who could turn into a cat."Noctis did not drop the subject.Ignis did his best to bury what Noctis jokingly dubbed his "goth phase" behind him. Unfortunately, his boyfriend still doesn't get the memo years later.





	myth-stakes were made

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ivelostmyspectacles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivelostmyspectacles/gifts).



> First of all, I'm so sorry this is late. Second of all, I'm... just sorry. I was going to include more of your prompts (older Ignoct and hurt/comfort) into a longer oneshot, but the plot kinda dissolved into memes, but I hope you enjoy the end product, anyway!  
> I have zero knowledge of Castlevania, so the vampire elements of your prompt have been reduced to an amalgamation of several different vampire mythologies from pop culture (all of which, despite Ignis's personal beliefs, are valid). And also I have to add that while I was excited to portray a person who is asexual in a healthy relationship, I'm not asexual myself, and anything that can be perceived as even slightly offensive or incorrect here should be pointed out so I can fix it.
> 
> Thank you so much for your patience, and have a wonderful new year! <3

            The Crown Prince of Lucis had always been fond of cats, fishing, and video games, some of the few constants in his tumultuous life as a prophesized chosen king. From the days of their initial acquaintance, Noctis had always wanted to share these joys with his chamberlain-in-training, Ignis, who was the perfect playmate at only two and a half years older in age. He had already proven his prowess as an advisor in his mapping of Citadel hiding spots, ability to confuse the chefs into giving them extra cookies, and helping Noctis navigate the harder levels of the video games he'd fire up on his PlayCube. Despite having access to the latest recreational technology for children, Noctis always preferred wrecking havoc all over the Citadel grounds with his partner-in-pranks, but rain or sickness would sometimes confine him to his bedchambers, where the two children would pass the time in front of the television.

            It surprised Prompto to learn just how much Ignis enjoyed video games growing up. He'd always held a particular fondness for one game featuring vampires and vampire hunters in a fierce battle of 8-bit pixels, and this obsession carried over into their playtime outside of video games. Ignis would pretend to be the fierce vampire Dracula, and Noctis would happily fill any other role, whether it be the vampire hunter raiding his castle or the hapless human who fell into his clutches. In hindsight, the look on the Marshal's face must have been hysterical when he'd walked in on eight year-old Ignis inches from the prince's neck and crying out with gleeful laughter, "You will be my bride!" It was a miracle he hadn't been separated from his childhood friend over the years due to concerns over sanity, to be frank.

            But eventually, one could say that Noctis _did_ fall into Ignis's clutches, only the resulting relationship wasn't quite as sexy as the supernatural fiction novels commonly depicted vampire romance. No blood was consumed, although vegetable consumption went up a surprising percentage thanks to Noctis proving his deep devotion to his partner. Noct's asexuality made their relationship less darkly seductive than most supernatural fiction, though both greatly enjoyed cuddling and kissing on the couch in the evenings, and Ignis never had to use vampire mind control powers to lure him over. Ignis did end up with an aversion to sunlight based not on physical detriment but on being cooped up in his office. Noctis would even claim Ignis had developed the exceptional strength and agility of a vampire after watching him train, but their spars were now conducted with quite fewer _whoosh_ es and _hwahhr_ es as sound effects.

            In truth, Ignis had done his best in his mid-teens to abandon the image of vampire lover he'd become known for in his childhood, especially with a less-than-menacing brand of vampires overtaking the media through a recently-popular young adult fiction series.

            ("— they're menacing because they're super strong, fast, agile —"

            "They sparkle, Gladiolus! And there's a clear difference between prowling the night and creeping on teenage girls!"

            "Don't try to act all high and mighty when you own action figures from _Tifa the Vampire Slayer_!"

            "Those 'action figures' are worth at least two hundred cronas more than your opinion, you uncultured—")

            To be fair, nothing about his teenage years was anything close to dignified. Still, to keep up with the increasing amount of responsibilities expected of his role, Ignis did his best to bury what Noctis jokingly dubbed his "goth phase" behind him.

            Unfortunately, his boyfriend still didn't get the memo years later.

            "Do you remember when we were kids and we spent a whole day looking for Eccarius, and it turned out he had somehow got stuck in the Regalia in the parking garage? And we pretended he'd used his vampire powers to transform into a human and drive around biting people?"

            "It was incredibly stupid of us, given that it would've been midday and we agreed vampires couldn't survive in the sunlight," Ignis said, though he wondered why their trek through the dark caverns of the Balouve Mines was the opportune time to reminisce about it. "Not to mention Monica had taken him to the vet that morning."

            "I'm sorry, what?" Prompto voiced his confusion from the back of their single file group. Everyone was practically leaning against the wall in case another goblin sent a surprise mine cart rolling from either direction.

            "Eccarius the cat," he explained. "One of the few cats Noctis was allowed to bring into the Citadel."

            "Oh, from your vampire days. Gotcha."

            Ignis remained silent, hoping they'd drop the subject.

            "Eccarius was a vampire who could turn into a cat."

            Noctis did not drop the subject.

            "It was all _pretend_ ," the advisor stressed. "And we were only boys at the time."

            "Awfully defensive about it," Gladio teased.

            "Maybe it wasn't _really_ pretend," Prompto added excitedly. "Maybe the royal family have been hiding vampires as housecats for centuries!"

            "What brought this story to mind, darling?" Ignis asked, the exhaustion of their expedition catching up with him.

            "I don't know," Noctis mumbled sheepishly, as if he had just realized how flustered he had made his flame. "I guess all these monsters and driving around remind me of all that weird stuff we used to make up. I miss those days."

            Well, Ignis couldn't really stay mad at his prince for very long. "They were far preferable to the real deal."

            "I dunno. I'd rather deal with a couple goblins than a vampire," Gladio countered. "A vampire's skin is a lot harder to cut through."

            "Plus, I don't think I could fight a housecat morally," Prompto said.

            "Actually," Ignis couldn't help but interject, "in _respectable_ mythologies, a vampire's skin is not any tougher than a mortal's, though holy weapons are much more effective. They are mostly feared for their increased agility, strength, and ability to summon—" He stopped short, realizing just what he was lecturing his fellow Crownsguard about, and cleared his throat. "Apologies."

            "No, no! You can't stop now!" Prompto protested, genuinely disappointed. "You were just starting to sink your teeth into it!"

            The creak of a cart on the rails drew gradually closer.

            "Hold that thought," Noctis said, summoning the Engine Blade.

            Grateful any talk of vampires or childhood stories had ceased, Ignis gladly threw himself into battling the pests. The goblins were rather weak in comparison to the other beasts they'd been fighting for the past few months, but a large number of any type of enemy was a tedious takedown, and it felt as though they just kept coming from further down the cavern. Noctis must have gone into stasis at some point, leaving a wide opening for a couple goblins to pounce on him at once, knocking him back into the wall. He managed to bat them away with his sword, but he was having trouble getting back up again.

            Ignis hurried over to heal him. "No time for napping," he teased.

            "There's always time for napping," Noct joked, but he barely managed to make it through before a coughing fit took hold of his body.

            Ignis rubbed his back, squinting in the dim lighting as he tried to make out his companion's features. He hadn't though the goblins had hit _that_ hard. "That doesn't sound good. Maybe you should sit this one out, love."

            "I'm fine," he said. "I think I've been having allergies or something."

            His advisor didn't look entirely convinced, but Noctis warped back into the fray and Ignis followed, though he found himself fighting a little closer to his prince's back. He trusted Noctis to truly know his limits when it got bad, but that didn't mean he didn't worry.

 

-

 

            Hours had passed, and though they had successfully found the royal arm and made it out of the mines alive, everyone in their party was a little battered from the experience. Prompto was holding his arm funny, and Noctis looked particularly pale even for his standards.

            "Highness?" Ignis prodded gently, placing a hand on his boyfriend's lower back.

            Noct chuckled. "You only call me Highness when you're worried about something." He leaned on his companion's shoulder, and Ignis was startled at how warm he felt.

            "That something happens to be you," he said, clutching Noct closer and feeling his forehead with his free hand. "You're burning up."

            "I'm fine," the prince said, though he was slurring his syllables. "Let's just get back to the castle."

            "Oh boy," Prompto said under his breath.

            Ignis didn't let go of Noctis the whole trek to the campsite. Emmelle Haven had been close enough to the entrance earlier that day, but it felt as though it had grown legs and wandered further away in the weariness of the night. Swaying slightly and muttering nonsense into his shoulder, Noctis barely managed to drag his feet all the way to the camp chair Ignis carefully dropped him into.

            "Think it's poison?" Gladio asked, the slight furrow of his brows telling Ignis he was nearly as troubled about Noct's health as he was.

            "I'll give him a remedy just in case, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were merely a cold from all the time we've spent in such damp caverns recently," Ignis replied, making sure Noctis wouldn't slip out of his seat when he let go of him. The last time they were in Caem, Talcott had shown them notes from Mr. Hester's library that described how potions could be used to strengthen sinus and flu medicines, and Ignis fortunately had all the ingredients available in his backpack next to the stove.

            "Wait! Don't go." Noctis grabbed Ignis's arm with a startling urgency considering his weak limbs, stopping him from leaving his side to retrieve the bag.  His boyfriend had a split second of further panic until the prince croaked out, "I'm sorry I'm not a sexy vampire."

            Prompto let out a chuckle that was somewhere between amused and genuinely concerned. Ignis's expression of terror melted into one of fond exasperation.

            "I think you are a very sexy vampire, Noct," Ignis said patiently, "and I'd love you nevertheless."

            "But I'm not a _sexy_ vampire," he protested, refusing to let go of his advisor's sleeve. "I… I don't do the sex."

            "And that's perfectly fine," Ignis assured him, "as I should hope you've learned over our three years of dating." Though he recognized his partner wasn't in his right mind, he was admittedly a little hurt. He hoped he never gave any impression that he was even the least bit dissatisfied with their relationship.

            He took the prince's hand from his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. Noctis covered it with his other hand, leaning up close enough for Ignis to see how glassy his eyes were. Ignis hoped this didn't mean the illness was worse than he'd originally assumed.

            "Please don't have sex with Gladio," Noctis's voice broke pitifully. "He's a werewolf."

            Gladio snorted, and Prompto choked on whatever he'd been drinking.  

            Ignis sighed. "I promise you I have no intentions of doing so. Now would you _please_ allow me to retrieve your medicine?"

            Noctis frowned at Ignis for a long moment. "You're sick?"

            "No, _you're_ sick, and I must—"

            "You should sit down, Iggy."

            "I…" Ignis trailed off, uncertain of how to reason with such a foggy-brained boyfriend (or, to be honest, a perfectly healthy boyfriend some of the time).

            "I'll get the medicine," Gladio said, sounding far too amused about the situation for someone whose literal job centered around his king's health. "Let the Vampire Prince take care of his consort."

            "I was always the vampire prince," Ignis mumbled, though he resigned himself to the rocky floor next to Noct's chair.

            Noctis positioned Ignis between his legs, placing a clammy hand on his advisor's forehead. His slurred instructions to Gladio were indecipherable, but they sounded strangely like "Don't forget the butter."

            "And an extra remedy, please," Ignis added nervously. Noctis had always been a confused patient whenever he fell ill (he remembered the disastrous results of the time he'd tried to go to his make-believe shift as a veterinarian in middle school) but this was a rather sudden turn for someone who had been fighting monsters only a couple hours ago.

            "Uh, I know Noct's a bit—" Prompto whistled, twirling a finger next to his head. "— when he's sick, but is this normal?" He'd never been allowed over to Noct's apartment when the prince was ill, as Ignis refused to let anyone else but himself take the risk of catching whatever ailment plagued Noctis at the time. Also, the young royal was a tough patient to deal with, especially after he learned the practice of elemancy.

            "Sadly, it's only the speed at which the symptoms are showing that's  peculiar," Ignis said after gently plying Noct's hand off his face. "It could be a side effect of some interaction with a daemon, or perhaps extensive use of his own magical power. We have experienced some unusual status ailments in our time outside the city."

            "Ha ha, yeah… Please don't mention the frog incident."

            He huffed. "And yet my 'vampire days' are fair game? Not exactly fair, is it?"

            "Hey, Noct brought it up!" Prompto reminded him.

            "And when he isn't delirious with fever, believe me, I'll have much to say to him about it," Ignis promised tetchily, any intimidation dampened by the sight of his boyfriend combing his hair back.

            "Your hair needs to be waxed back," Noct said, hopelessly attempting to flatten his gelled-up bangs against the top of his head.

            "I don't think wax is the term you're looking for, champ." Gladio handed a few vials of healing drinks to Ignis, who immediately set to work.

            "Yes, I would appreciate my hair exactly where it is, thank you very much." Ignis turned to offer the medicine to Noctis. "Now, drink this please."

            The prince scrunched up his nose. "Is it vegetable?"

            "No," Ignis assured him. "It's the blood of the Bishop, Your Excellency."

            "Oh. Good." Noctis tossed the potion down his throat. Ignis wondered if he could use this trick to convince him to eat actual vegetables.

            "This one, too." Ignis handed him a remedy, which Noctis drank without question. Judging by the adorable  twisting of his face, vegetables might have tasted better.

            "Icky," he whined, accidentally shoving the vial into Ignis's face instead of his hand. "Don't drink this one."

            He chuckled, righting his glasses atop his nose. No, he wasn't particularly happy with the amount of humiliation and anxiety his childhood sweetheart packed into the last several hours of his life. But he was happy to stand beside him and care for him even when things didn't go to plan.

            Still… "You're going to be the death of me, love," he whispered, sounding not the least bit infuriated behind his warm expression.

            "We can't die, Speccy," Noctis said, smiling. "We're vampires, remember? We're immortal."

            "I suppose you're right." Ignis kissed his forehead. He rested his cheek against that of his prince, trying to push any remaining worry away from his heart. Yes, he'd make sure they'd have plenty of more embarrassing memories to make together, no matter how hard this journey would become.


End file.
